Lake Street Dive

Wow. My friend Michael just showed me this. Reminded of Erika Wennerstrom from Heartless Bastards, Otis Redding and yeah, a little Amy Winehouse.

The Raveonettes have a new album out!

Funny, just the other day I found myself thinking that there had to be a new Raveonettes on the way - they tend to release a record a year. And lo and behold, PE'AHI came out July 22nd. This is the first video - and yes, be careful of the strobe. It didn't affect me the way the NIN Came Back Haunted video by David Lynch did, but just be careful.

The Afghan Whigs Cover The Police

And it is freakin' awesome! Listen to those intro drums - like a fist coming out of a bouquet of flowers. Dulli owns on this track - his vocals match the guitars, the vulnerability laced with menace and a hint of defeat. And such a crystal clear mix - focus on the hi hat, let it ride up on top of the mix in your perception. It's, well, it's magic.

8 Bit Twin Peaks Credit Sequence

Do I even have to say how awesome this is?

Special thanks to Ali Troubadour for sending me this. Thank you Ali!!! And to the folks at Filthy Frackers, I say well done!

Pulp Karaoke Contest Winner is... 9?

This is awesome. Via Brooklyn Vegan. I'll admit I checked out after about half the song and really just had to go put on the actual Pulp track, but this is worth some attention if for no other reason than it's really a bit surreal.

Drinking with Comics Issue #11

Drinking with Comics issue #11 is up! Our guests are Aspen Comics' Vince Hernandez and Siya Oum, talking about there new books - respectively - Damsels in Excess and LOLA XOXO, as well as SDCC 2014, variant covers, gas masks and, um, beer.

Of course.

Dark Day: RIP Robin Williams

I just received a text message from my good friend Dave - it brought with it terrible news. No, I did not know Robin Williams, I didn't even see all his movies. I always felt like I was as selective in watching what he is as he was apparently un-selective in choosing what to star in. That's not a judgement - if doing some of the work that he did that seems, to me, subpar it enabled Mr. Williams to take some of the gargantuan roles that he left tattooed across my memory, than more power. If you know me well enough to have ever really talked movies with me you know doubt know that often touted Mr. Williams as both one of the greatest dramatic actors of our time as well as one of the funniest.

Now he's gone and we'll never get another World's Greatest Dad, The Fisher King or Dead Poets Society.

Fuck.

Along with the powerhouses listed above some of my favorites - big or small - were Insomnia, Death to Smoochy, One Hour Photo, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Dead Again.